Corporate Landing Middle School mentees, mentors, and administrators cheerily filed in Lead Mentor, Verna Tersol’s, AVID classroom before first block for their bi-monthly ‘New Jet Breakfast’ session. Their early morning spirits only grew as they piled Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Minis and other delicious breakfast noshes onto their plates. It was evident from the first few minutes of attending this session that I had entered a community: one that thrives on positivity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to both growth and excellence.
This specific session centered on reaching the hard-to-reach students. Principal, Dr. Freddie Alarcon, asked mentees to share about one challenging student. He then facilitated a rich discussion between mentees and mentors. Together, the group brainstormed additional strategies the mentees might consider utilizing in their quests to connect with these struggling students.
Mrs. Tersol and Dr. Alarcon team to determine relevant topics of discussion for their New Jet Breakfasts. “These breakfasts provide a welcoming atmosphere for new teachers where they are encouraged to share challenges in the classroom and celebrate great teaching moments with the group,” said Mrs. Tersol. “We provide them resources and support from mentors and other staff.”
Dr. Alarcon further explained, “It’s important to us to ensure that our new teachers benefit from the collective intelligence of our staff. As a new teacher, you are presented with so many challenges each and every day, and we just want them to know that they are not on this journey alone.”
How does your school support new teachers? Please share in the comments section below!
